How to make flower essences? It’s really easy. All you need are some non-toxic flowering plants, sunlight and a small glass bowl filled with spring water.
The original flower essences were created by Dr. Edward Bach, MD. He was a medical doctor, as well as a famous homeopath.
Dr. Bach discovered flower essences, a new form of healing. These gentle homeopathic remedies were very popular in England, in the beginning of the 20th century. But they’re making a comeback.
Bach flower remedies are widely available online and in health food stores. Dr. Bach used flowering plants that grow in Great Britain. But other non-toxic flowers can be used as well, including ones that may grow in your yard.
How To Make Flower Essences
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I’m going to show you how easy it is to make flower essences, from flowers you may find in your neighborhood. But, first, here’s a little history on flower remedies.
There are 38 original Bach flower essences. There were created by Dr. Bach from plants that grew in the British Isles. But other people are making essences from flowering plants around the world. Really, any non-toxic flower has the potential to be a flower essence.
Flower essences are considered gentle. Unlike regular homeopathic remedies, which uses highly diluted poison, the original substance is a non-toxic plant. This is why it’s believed that flower essences don’t have the same potential to cause “aggravations,” compared to regular homeopathic remedies.
What is an aggravation? It’s a temporary increase in symptoms. Aggravations are usually harmless. But they can be uncomfortable.
Do Flower Essences Cause Aggravations?
However, I want to help clear up a common misconception. Like all homeopathic remedies, flower essences must be used properly. This means no more than the minimum dose needed.
It’s generally believed that flower essences can’t cause aggravations, I disagree. I’ve personally experienced agitation from taking too much of a flower essence designed to relieve acute stress.
However, I will say that I’m pretty sensitive to homeopathic remedies in general. I tend to need fewer doses than the average person, and I usually can’t take the same remedy for more than two or three consecutive doses. The same seems to be true for flower essences, at least for me. But everyone is different. All I can say is listen to your body. And take only as much of a remedy as you need.
Flower Essence Aggravations
My last homeopath (who sadly has passed away) gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever heard. She said one dose and wait. See what happens. Don’t take another dose unless you feel it’s needed. (For me, this would be a return of the symptoms I was trying to get rid of.)
So if one dose of flower essence did the job, there’s no need to take another. Incidentally, my amazingly talented homeopath also believed flower remedies can cause aggravations. (So it’s good to trust the signals your body is sending.)
How To Make Flower Essence Water
Over the years, I’ve bought a number of flower essences. I never want to be without Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. This is an amazing blend of five flower remedies, and it’s designed to relieve acute stress, such as the kind that happens when you receive terrible news. (I also use it for occasional sleeplessness or if I mess up and use the wrong homeopathic remedy.)
However, there’s no reason why I can’t make my own flower essences from backyard and local plants. Actually, it’s really easy and it’s fun.
How To Make Rose Essence
Lilacs are one possibility. But you can also make flower essences from dandelions, bluets (these little whitish/light blue flowers wild on our property), violets or roses, as long as they’re not sprayed with toxic chemicals.
Actually, I plan to make rose essence next. I plan to do this with wild roses that will be in full bloom soon. The method I’ll use will be exactly the same as for lilac essence.
How To Make Lilac Flower Essence
Depending upon where you live, lilacs may bloom for just a short time in May. Flower essence enthusiasts often recommend making remedies from flowers that you’re attracted to.
I noticed lilacs everywhere. I wanted some. I didn’t know where to find any. Then, one day, I drove up to a friend’s house. She had an amazing lilac bush in her yard. I knew she wouldn’t mind sharing a branch. She didn’t. She picked several branches and gave me a very generous handful of lilacs.
DIY Lilac Flower Essence
The were at their peak. I immediately put a bunch of light purple lilac flowers in small glass bowl and filled it with spring water. Running spring water would be ideal. I tried to use some water from a small stream near my house
But the running water wasn’t clear enough. It had an algae-like smell. So, instead, I used bottled spring water that comes from New Hampshire. (This is natural spring water and not purified and bottled tap water. Also, you want to avoid using distilled water to make flower essences.)
I put the bowl filled with flowers on my back deck, so the sun could capture the essence of the petals. Then, after a few hours, I took a stick and removed the flowers. I didn’t want to touch the essence with my hands.
How To Make Essence From Flowers
From this, you can put two drops in another container that held about one ounce of water. Then add an equal amount of vodka. This would be considered the “mother flower essence.”
I’ve read that it’s important not to touch the flower water with your hands. Getting just two drops into a smaller bottle isn’t easy. So you probably want to use a glass dropper with a rubber top.
However, with this method, you’d need to use a separate glass dropper for every essence you make. That’s because you don’t want the dropper to “contaminate” any other essence. Another option would be to use a large stick to get at least a drop into the mother essence. I believe the essence would still work regardless of whether you use a few drops of the original flower water, or less than a drop.
How To Make Flower Essence With Glycerin
From there, you can add two drops of the mother essence to treatment bottles that contain half water and half vegetable glycerin. The glycerin acts as a preservative. If you can’t find glycerin locally, you can order it online.
For this step, use a glass dropper or use a stick. Even if you get less than two drops in the bottle, it will still work.
Why do I think my homemade lilac essence worked? When I held it in my hands, a sudden sense of calm came over my body. A mainstream doctor might say this is the “placebo effect.” But even if it was, I’ll take it.
How To Make Your Own Flower Essence
You can use a small glass jar as the treatment bottle. Just make sure to keep it away from light and extreme heat. (Although it’s believed that flower essences are less susceptible to the elements, compared to regular homeopathic remedies.) All homeopathic remedies, though, should be kept away from the heat and the light.
If you plan on making multiple essences, you may want to invest in little amber-colored bottles. Flower essences packaged in little amber bottles also make great gifts. A mother essence could potentially make many many treatment bottles. The packaged flower essences you can buy at the health food store or online are treatment bottle strength.
The above instructions were how to make lilac flower essence. But you can use the same method for any non-toxic blossom.
How To Make Flower Essence at Home
Flower essences are believed to work on an emotional level. Dr. Bach was convinced that treating emotional angst could lead to physical healing.
He also believed negative emotions can make us sick. That’s probably why so much of the rest of his life was devoted to healing with flowers. (Dr. Bach lived in the early 1900’s, and survived for 20 years after his “terminal” cancer diagnosis.)
Flower Essence Therapy
It’s been written that Dr. Bach discovered which flowers could help relieve a particular emotional state by holding them in his hands. There have been volumes written on which Bach remedies correlate with each particular emotional state. For instance, there’s a certain remedy called centaury that’s often recommended for people who’ve been bullied.
How To Make an Essence From Flower
Essences from a much wider variety of plants are now available. They’re less studies and less has been written about them. So it’s hard to say what effect they’d have. Compared to regular homeopathic remedies, flower remedies are much more subtle.
However, I wouldn’t use flower remedies for an acute physical problem, such as a sore throat, the flu or a headache. Instead, regular homeopathy would be much more appropriate.
How do you know which particular flowers to use? I’ve seen others suggest using essences from non-toxic flowers you’re attracted to, such as what I did with lilac flowers.
Enjoy your DIY flower essences remedies. However, don’t forget that they’re real homeopathic remedies. So use only as much as you need and then put the remedy away until it’s needed again.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing shouldn’t use homeopathic remedies or flower essences unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional. Flower essences should not substitute for appropriate medical care.
For More Reading
Bach Flower Remedy To Help You Sleep
Here is another study on Bach flower remedies for psychological pain. It didn’t find any difference between using flower essences and a placebo. But I’m of the mind that homeopathy is as much art as it is science, and remedies do not always allow themselves to modern studies. Homeopathic prescribing is highly individualized, and the study would have to take that into account. Bach flower practitioners would try to choose remedies based upon a patient’s exact emotional state. This may mean combining four or more remedies into one treatment bottle. The authors of this study did conclude that Bach flowers appear to be safe.
